Small communities battle big flood

Warroo and Corinella are now bracing themselves against a major flood.

Deputy Controller for the Forbes SES Jordon L’Estrange said whilst Forbes’ major flood peak has now passed, work at the Forbes SES depot has not stopped.

While the spotlight for the major flood peak was on Forbes last week, Mr L’Estrange said SES volunteers were working hard to ensure downstream communities were well prepared before roads between Forbes and the outlying areas were cut off.

Mr L’Estrange said last week alone SES volunteers deployed to Forbes and local volunteers helped fill enough sandbags to prepare Forbes for the major flood peak and send seven semi-trailer loads of sandbags to Bedgerabong.

“Before it even got to Nanami we were looking downstream,” Mr L’Estrange said.

Dry sandbags collected by the SES at over the weekend were also sent downstream to Bedgerabong before access by road was cut.

Now the roads are cut, Mr L’Estrange said the operation for the downstream communities has changed.

Helicopters are now being used to airlift sandbags from Bedgerabong to properties and communities under threat.

Mr L’Estrange said Corinella was looking to face floodwaters travelling from the north and south.

“Blokes out there are saying that they have never seen anything like it before,” Mr L’Estrange said.

“I’m personally concerned about homesteads out there and the school is one of them.

“We are sandbagging as quick as we can but our feeling is that the levee is in possibility of being breached.

“We are trying to do everything we can to protect the people out there and because they are not in the city centre, does not mean that we won’t be helping,” Mr L’Estrange said.

Yesterday afternoon floodwaters were rising at Corinella a rate of 2.5 centimetres per hour.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.